by Kalli Silver

Created on: October 15, 2008

Not everybody is lucky enough to be born into a rich family. A family with middle income also struggle to stay afloat during tough times during the recession too. Can we really get out of the poverty trap? There are many ways if only we can change our mindsets. During a time when everyone is worried about their stocks being sold at low prices than they were bought, do we hold on to the stocks or just sell them?

Charities and non-profit organisations often try to give out free meals, clothes and vouchers to the poor. We can go to them for help when we truly need it. However, if the system is abused, i.e. you can afford to buy the stuff but want freebies, then the giveaways may not be used in the long term.

This would deprive those who truly need the help being rendered. Uganda woman make paper beads to try to get out of poverty. They even string the paper beads together and sell them as unique pieces of jewellery such as bracelets, necklaces and earrings. It is a way of trying to get out of poverty when they can't find jobs.

In Singapore, some people sell their unused clothes to those who want either online or offline. The Internet provides various means to sell the products. The popular sites are EBay and forums. Busking in the streets will require license and those with singing or other talents to show, will go through the process for licenses and start their entertainment in the streets.

Others open blog shops to sell handmade jewellery, bags and clothes. There are some who organise sprees and take a small percentage as a token of administration for organising the sprees. Others try to work from home by being tutor coordinators between the tutors and parents.

For those without Internet access, they rent carts in shopping malls to sell their wares and hope that the business will take off successfully. Yet others try multi-level-marketing when they hear stories of how much someone is making in a month that is equivalent to a year's salary of theirs.

I see old men and women collecting cans and cardboard pieces in attempts to sell them so that they can buy food for themselves or for their families. At the age of 65, one ought to be enjoying life instead of struggling to make ends meet. It is truly sad to see that in the developed country of Singapore. we still have the poor picking up empty cans, cardboards and newspapers in their 70s and 80s working to pay the bills and buying food.

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